D31-D36 Crossing the Mojave Desert 穿越莫哈韋沙漠

Days 31-36 第三十一至第三十六天:

The next section of the trail was going to be a challenging one. We would finally get down to the flat Mojave desert and cross it. At this lower elevation, and with the forecast being in the mid-to-high thirties, it was going to really feel like the desert.

步道的下一段有一定的挑戰性，我們終於要從山上下到平地，再過莫哈韋沙漠到對面的山脈。天氣預告說溫度會在三十多接近四十度這範圍內而且低海拔的平地本來就會比較熱，這幾天我們會體驗到真正沙漠氣候的感覺。

Leaving Casa de Luna the terrain started getting drier right away.

離開月亮之家後步道的周圍越來越乾。

The only water source for the day was a spring that was trickling very slowly. It took almost two minutes to fill up a single litre and we needed about four each, so it didn't take long for a long line of hikers waiting for water to form.

今天唯一的水源是自然泉水，水流出來的速度非常慢，要裝滿一公升的容器差不多要兩分鐘。因為速度慢加上每個人都需要裝至少四公升，所以很快就排人龍。

I read that the body adjusts to its environment and changes the salt composition of your sweat. Perhaps this has already happened for me. It was indeed really hot today and I sweat a lot, but there was far less salt on my face than earlier in the trip.

我聽說在心的氣候下身體會自動調整汗水的鹽量，或許我身體已經調好了，今天很熱我流了很多汗但臉上殘留的鹽比以前少許多。

I was pushing for 30 miles today so I tried going about 18 miles before stopping for lunch. By that point I was pretty exhausted so I had a nice long break. I even experimented with a new ingredient for my wrap: crumbs from my bag of Triscuits for an added crunch, and a hot sauce packet. Tuna, cheese and cucumber rounded out the menu. Trail food rating: 4.5/5. Regular food rating: 1/5. Everything tastes good when you're high up on a mountain and hungry!

我今天打算走48公里，所以午餐休息前先走了29公里，午餐時已經把自己弄得非常累所以休息的時間比較長。今天在捲餅內加了新的料理，就是餅乾袋子裡的一些餅乾碎片還有一包辣醬，捲餅內還加了起司、鮪魚跟小黃瓜。以PCT食物來看我給今天的午餐4.5/5的評分，以步道外的食物來看應該只有1.5/5，在山上肚子餓的時侯什麼都好吃！

An important milestone was reached today: the 500 mile mark! That means there's only... 2150 miles left to go. And yes, the Proclaimers was stuck in my head for most of the day.

今天走到一個重要的里程碑，就是500英里或800公里，所以現在只剩下... 3440公里。今天一直想到The Proclaimers唱的一首歌500 Miles。

Near the end of the day, the trail passed through a beautiful treed area with pink, green and white plants on the forest floor.

傍晚的時侯我經過這塊地，樹林的地上有綠色和白色的植物。

This was the last night in the forest before descending to the flat desert below.

今天是下到沙漠平地前的最後一晚。

The next morning I started descending. There was another fun warning sign for hikers:

隔天早上我開始下切，路途中看到這個警告牌（步道旁有人開槍打獵，勿離開步道）：

Finally, I arrived in the windy, dry, brown desert of death!

終於要面對風大空氣乾的致命沙漠了。

Upon arriving in the real desert, there is a highway crossing and another popular stop for hikers: Hikertown. Again, this is someone's private property where they have opened up the yard and some additional buildings for hikers to use. They have a well here, so there's a lot of water available. You can fill up your drinking water bottles, have a shower, do your laundry in a bucket outside and hide out in the shade.

到了真正的沙漠的時侯要過一條公路，對面有一個PCT很有名的地方Hikertown。這裡也是私人地，他們一樣讓我們利用庭園和主要住宅房子以外的小屋子。他們家有水井，所以我們可以無限量喝水、洗澡、洗衣服，也可以在庭園躲太陽。

They also accept hiker packages here. This is Metric Ton, who earned that name because he started out with a backpack weighing 100 pounds! He received a package here that was really overstuffed but somehow the postal service still allowed to be sent.

他們也會幫我們代收包裹，這一味是Metric Ton，他收到這個單一價郵資的箱子，塞得這麼滿我很驚訝郵局沒有拒絕。他的綽號Metric Ton（公噸）是因為他一開始揹100磅（45公斤）的背包。

Hikers can camp for free or rent one of the little town buildings here for $10.00 and sleep on a bed.

登山客可以在這裡免費搭帳篷，或者跟他們租他們庭園裡的一棟小屋子，只要十塊美金就可以睡床 。

Many people decided to start the next section in the evening, but I decided to get a bed to sleep on and wait till 2 a.m. when the moon would be up. Nobody was going to attempt the next section during the daytime, as it was about 17 miles until the first shade and water. The trail followed the Los Angeles Aqueduct over flat desert that would quickly roast you to a crisp by midday. Setting out at 2:00 a.m., I soon got to the California Aqueduct, which is exposed water running through the desert.

很多人決定傍晚開始走下一段，但我選擇租小屋子睡到凌晨兩點月亮出來後再開始走。沒有一個人敢等白天再走這一段，要走27公里才有第一個遮掩的地方或水。步道沿著洛山磯輸水道在平坦無樹的沙漠走，白天走這一段的話到中午應該會被太陽燒死。兩點出發不用開頭燈，月光照路就夠了，不久後走到加州輸水道，它像運河一樣沒有覆蓋。

After that, I got to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which is actually in a pipe and mostly buried underground. By sunrise, I was still walking along this aqueduct, which at this point was buried under a concrete road. There were 17 miles of walking in this kind of landscape; definitely not somewhere you would want to be during the heat of the day.

後來我走到洛山磯輸水道，它是埋在地下的大鐵管。日出的時侯我還在這個水道上面走，水道本身在水泥路底下。

Eventually, the road ends up at the first wind farm the PCT traverses in this section.

水泥路最終通到PCT在這一段穿越的第一場風力發電場。

After 17 miles, there is finally water from the aqueduct available, and shade under a bridge. It was time for a hard-earned break.

已經走了27公里，終於有水龍頭可以從水道取水，也可以在橋下躲太陽，休息時間到了。

By this point the day was really starting to heat up, but as you can see, there is really not enough shade anywhere to hide in. The only thing to do is stay at the bridge, or push on another 7 miles through the wind farm. It was so big that it took two and a half hours to walk through!

這時候天氣已經很熱了，不過真的沒有地方躲太陽，只能整天待在橋下或再往前走11公里穿越風力發電場，我選擇後者，走了兩小時半才終於離開發電場。

Nine hours into the day, there was finally a real tree. Some other hikers were already hiding under it sleeping.

今天走完九小時終於看到一棵樹，樹蔭已經被幾位登山客佔用。

I pushed on a little farther to a canyon (Tylerhorse Canyon!) where there was finally a little stream to get drinking water and some bigger trees where some real shade could be found!

再往上一點有一個溪谷，這裡有溪水可以喝也有一些樹蔭所以可以安心地休息。

I ended up waiting out the afternoon heat for five hours here. Even just lying down not moving in the shade felt hot and extremely dry. Without water, even waiting in the shade unmoving like this all day might put you in big trouble. Thankfully, I had plenty to drink with the stream nearby. Every time I walked out into the sunlight though, it felt like death itself approaching. The shady spot I had found became like a prison cell without walls.

整個下午我都待在這裡等晚一點氣溫下降。在樹蔭下躺著不動還是很熱，空氣又很乾，若沒有水喝在這樣的天氣下會有生命危險，幸好有旁邊的小溪流共我取水。每次走出樹蔭的時侯感覺陽光想殺死我，樹蔭雖然比較舒服但也像一個沒有牆壁的牢房。

Finally, I was able to leave. The evening walk was very scenic, but involved a long two-hour ascent. This would have been hell to attempt during the day, but it wasn't too hot in the evening.

氣溫開始下降時終於可以離開了，風景很漂亮但要一直爬破，白天走這段會很可怕，傍晚走倒是很舒服。

To everyone's surprise, at one of the campsites there was a very cool rest area set up by local trail angels. There was fresh fruit, boiled eggs, cookies, drinkable water, and chairs! With all this, and a great view of the desert below that was now behind us, it was a perfect spot to end the day.

到了前面一個營地的時侯我們都很驚訝，當地的trail angels有設一個豪華的登山休息區，有水果，水煮蛋，餅乾，飲用水，還有真正的椅子，前面的風景就是我們今天走完的平地沙漠，在這裡過夜為今天畫上了很完美的句點。

After sunset, there were even solar lights that came on that created a nice mood.

天黑的時侯竟然有太陽能燈會亮，氣氛很棒。

This has been my longest day yet: 32 miles!

我今天破了自己的紀錄，一天走完51公里。

The next morning, I left early to get into the town of Tehachapi by noon. The trail wound its way through yet another wind farm, this one even bigger than the last.

隔天為了在中午之前到下個城鎮我就很早起來。今天走的步道又穿過一個風力發電場，比昨天的還大！

There was of course fire damage in this area, as with everywhere along the PCT. This tree was still hanging on for dear life:

這裡跟前面走過的步道也有森林火災的痕跡，這棵樹有一半死了有一半活著：

I hitched a ride into town and set up my tent at... the airport. That's right! There is a park beside the airport taxiway that is open for short-term camping. There's a lot of shade here, nice grass, and even a portable shower!

到登山口搭便車到市區然後去機場紮營，機場沒錯！滑行道旁邊有一個公園共人短期露營。這裡的草皮很舒服，樹蔭很多，也有一個移動式淋浴間！

I'm planning to take a full 48 hours here to rest up, and fill up on good food. For instance, here was breakfast the next day:

我在這個城鎮Tehachapi打算待48小時好好休息，多吃真正的食物，畢竟我一個目標是體重不能嚴重下降。隔天早上我就吃到這些：

I wasn't really full after that, but at least I didn't feel hungry anymore. It's always a good idea to eat first before going to the grocery store, so that you don't feel hungry there and go crazy buying too much food. I still had to buy a lot, though, as the next section coming up is 135 miles long and there are no restaurants, towns or trail magic to be expected. This is my biggest food carry yet and is at least 15 pounds:

吃完竟然還沒吃飽但至少不會感到餓了。去逛超市前最好先吃東西，肚子餓的時侯逛什麼都會想吃，很容易買太多。下一段是216公里，而且途中不會有小鎮、餐廳或trail magic，要揹的食物是我在PCT上揹過最多的一次：



In just a week, I will be at Kennedy Meadows and ready to start the Sierra Nevadas, the most scenic section of the entire PCT. The desert is almost finished!

一個禮拜後我就會到Kennedy Meadows並開始走進PCT風景最美的內華達山脈，沙漠路快走完了！